Last week Kerala witnessed a gigantic debate between ‘Islam and Atheism’, as many would like to put it that way, ending a saga of so many confusions and staring a lot more afresh. The debate was a result of a series of challenges and bragging made by EA Jabbar, a teacher trainer cum critique of Islam, as he was called by another prominent highly controversial self-proclaimed and perceived to be a pro-Hindutva rationalist in Kerala, C Ravichandran, when it was accepted by MM Akbar, a prominent preacher of Islam with almost equal experience to that of his opponent in his respective field. The debate was conducted at the Rose Lounge, Malappuram, along with adequate facilities for streaming the event online facilitated by multiple organizations associated with both factions. The program is believed to have been watched by more than 15 lack people almost from the beginning to the end, as the screen shot of the YouTube channels suggest which had streamed the event, making it one of the most watched event ever in the history of Kerala in such an exclusive category.

On the program

The program started for real at the aforesaid auditorium, which was a success in itself as there were a lot of speculations and allegations on Mr. MM Akbar that he would abscond and withdraw from the debate fearing an imminent defeat, as it was circulated so by and on different YouTube channels and a great number of Facebook accounts and groups, which he categorically denied also during his speech at the program as well. The debate started, except the customary formalities, with the opening preposition of Mr. EA Jabbar, even though it was he who had already challenged well before the date of the program Mr. Akbar and Muslims in general, associated with a greatly subtle promise that he would finish all his fury over Islam and rather declare his Islam, once Muslims are able to prove that any single thing that they prove to be existing in Quran which was unknown to the Arab nomadic communities contemporary to the Prophet Muhammed PUBH.

The debate started a little late by the prescribed time, with an audience of 25 members from the Muslim side and 75 from the Atheist – rationalist (Yuktiwaadi) faction, off course as it was a precondition put forward by the Kerala Yuktiwaadi Sangham to which totally undemocratic condition the Muslim faction agreed with, among many other similar unilateral and inappropriate measures taken – like that of Mr. Jabbar would deliver the opening speech even though he is the challenger himself and the very action necessitated the debate to happen – right from day one of the discussions as part of the preparations for conducting the program.

It shall be keenly noted that, apart from the question of whether there is in fact a need of debate between Islam and Atheism, or that of an ‘appropriator’ at the end of a debate such as this (NOT a moderator throughout the program, which can be there obviously, and there he was for real and was not bad in his duties, but) he was indeed an appropriator as well with the designation of a moderator, purposed to find an appropriate(?) conclusion between Islam and Atheism, certainly adding up to the existing paranoia between the two rivaling ideologies, where no faction can claim a victory without expecting heated ever continuing counter arguments from the opposite faction.

The Jubilant Muslims

The encounter of MM Akbar saw a wonderful turn of events, thereby believed to have set a landmark in the history of ‘Quran and science’ debates and discourses in Kerala. Holding onto the crystal clear position that Quran is not a book of science not it was revealed to teach science, he brilliantly concentrated on just one verse rather than undertaking the responsibility of ‘saving the Quran’ using science and that was the verse no. 40 of Surah Noor.

The selection of this verse was itself an astounding preposition, as it was indicated by many reviewers afterwards, where it effectively allows a Muslim to elaborate correlating to oceanography, a fine field of science which is not so common on the discussion tables with regard to Quran’s scientific authenticity. MM Akbar, an MSc. Physics graduate blessed with an astonishing memory power, demonstrated at least an amazing depiction of some lessons of oceanography, orchestrated by the full volumes of an Arabic English dictionary authored by a non-Muslim thereby efficiently brushing aside any possibility of authenticity breach at the hands of MM Akbar, regularly appearing original available books of the likes of Galen hilariously substantiating the claims he was making; and flavored with authentic scientific journals, expert videos like that of Walter Monk, PhD, and demonstration videos of even NASA, all aligned with a perfect delivery of ideas from the mouthpiece of a seasoned debater, exquisitely mixing and interleaving between scientific explanation and ordinary but effective oratory techniques.

In each session he spoke, in general, Mr. Akbar was accumulating his points one over another, building a coherent preposition around the topic of the debate, which was to prove the existence of any single factual reality in Quran that the nomadic Arabs didn’t know or that which was not part of their folklore or conventionally transferred information, as challenged his opponent Mr. EA Jabbar, a prominent and established but furious speaker on Islam and Muslims from an antithetical perspective. The situation was quite supportive to Muslims, as it was crystal clear that none of these four intricate pieces of information catered by Mr. Akbar relating to oceanography mentioned in the 40th verse of Chapter no. 24 of Quran was available to not only the Arab nomads of 7th century AD, but also nobody in the world until 1930s.

The dilemma of Atheists

The Muslim faction had a great relief and hence thankful to Allah, as it was apparent to anybody in the hall or those who were watching, including atheists as some of them revealed on Facebook, the primary platform of discussion regarding this debate, that Mr. Jabbar was practically sterilized on the stage, and clueless about how to counter effectively the Muslim prepositions. He was seen merely continuing elaborating his old points raised in the opening speech itself (which never contained any new allegation on Quran but all were the same that atheists used to air for the multiple past decades either), having nothing significant to raise even as a loosely fitting reply to the awesomely updated Mr. Akbar.

The deliberate attempt of Mr. Jabbar to mislead the debate and provoke the opponent by desperately concentrating over the Zindani project with a covering letter as Dr. Abdul Majid Zindani was a Salafi terrorist (probably hoping that it may inflict terror in the mind of the progressive Muslim opponent); the lack of authenticity of Dr. Keith Moor, the physician who embraced Islam viewing the miraculous description of Quran regarding embryology in Surah Mu’minoon, as he had received monetary benefits from the KSA government; or over the very lack of necessity of such a debate between Quran and science (even though it was he who started all these, or that Muslims don’t hold onto such a position as put by Mr. Akbar).

The Q & A session received mixed responses, as the questions from both sides didn’t meet up the expectations. The questions from the atheist side were not bad but didn’t sound a threat to Mr. Akbar, while the questions from the opposite faction were not required actually to reach to the final conclusion, and one question about a clear fallacy conducted by Mr. Jabbar in his own essay regarding Quran and embryology coined along with proofs made available online at once are believed to be the best questions.

The brilliant take on Kerala Yuktiwadi Sangham

A well-wishing Mr. Akbar was much appreciated for his opening remarks on the history of Kerala Yuktiwadi Sangham, as it was established to protest against the Hindu caste system which is a religious discrimination system based on the birth community and the duties assigned to them in the holy book of Manusmriti, being established by Sahodaran Ayyappan a communist revolutionary in Southern Kerala. He clearly pointed out the political positions of the Sangham void of any ideological integrity, and in fact an apparent inclination many a time towards the pro-Hindutva ideology, especially in this tumultuous years of India where Muslims and other minorities along with Dalits, Adivasis and Untouchables are dying hard over the question of honorable existence “during when India witnessing the most violent form of majoritarian terrorism” as coined by the moderator cum appropriator at the appropriative conclusion himself. It was a beautiful coincidence between MM Akbar spoke particularly about the inclination and sometimes staunch support of the Sangham to the majoritarian terrorist narratives, and the appropriating conclusion of Adv. Anil Kumar who also added that it is the minority terrorism that causes the Hindu terrorism in general, apparently balancing his remark on the terrorism of majority.

The still ongoing discussions online

The historical debate especially between two Muslim named personalities representing two rivaling ideologies, with Mr. Jabbar overwhelmingly supported by many Christian missionaries throughout Kerala as well, and conducted by the Kerala Yuktiwadi Sangham as well as reached out to around 1.5 million people online, is still causing so much more volume of discussions and ideological fight of furious properties online, making it even more live after it concluded. Mr. Akbar’s Niche of Truth could have conducted by the time this essay is written another Q & A session on the most important questions raised after the program was over.

The future of preaching Islam vs. Atheism in Kerala

As expressed by Mr. Akbar himself and others, the arena of propagating Islam has become most energetic in the post-debate days, energizing largely Muslim youths and ladies alike, giving them a great sense of ideological emancipation and being equipped against atheism irrespective of the different factions inside the Muslim community of Kerala, which is very much acknowledged and admired by the heads of different sections of Muslim community here.

Muslim preachers in particular and the community in general are of great relief now, primarily for they have almost totally destroyed the Islamophobic atheism for now which was gaining momentum in Kerala, completely assisting the general sense of ‘fear of Muslims’ in the most eastern state of India always known for its educational and social uplifting in general enjoyed by almost all classes and sections of the society, where religious hatred used to play a meagre role only.
They expect that may the fruitful impact of this debate be instrumental in creating a more plural and coexistent society in Kerala in the upcoming days.

Abdulhadi Farooqi